Protection Manager

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Job Summary

The IRC is implementing a 6.5-month project across five districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to strengthen protection and legal services for vulnerable communities. The project works toward one overarching outcome: improved access to legal support, case management, and community-based protection services, alongside stronger community structures to prevent and respond to protection risks.

Four outputs deliver this: community-based protection mechanisms that expand awareness and access to services; case management and referral pathways for at-risk individuals; legal services, including counsel and representation; and a protection monitoring framework to systematically capture and track protection risks.

SCOPE OF WORK

The IRC's Protection Manager will oversee the IOM protection project across all five targeted districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through IRC's self-implementation. This position is based in Peshawar, with frequent travel to the project districts to support implementation teams in protection activities. The Protection Manager will be responsible for day-to-day supervision and oversight of project staff and activities, budget management, administration, and fulfilment of programme requirements. The Protection Manager will work closely with implementing staff, the technical unit, the donor, and other protection actors, including UN agencies, and will represent IRC in protection-related working groups at the district and provincial level.

The Protection Manager will report to the Team Lead in Islamabad, who will provide overall supervision. The role will also maintain close coordination with, and report administratively to, the Office In-Charge in KP, and will work closely with the Protection Lead in Islamabad for technical backstopping.

Job Responsibilities

Program Management

• Overall management of the project cycle to ensure timely implementation of activities; develop and review work plans; develop and monitor budgeting and fiscal accountability; and oversee short-term technical assistance.

• Provide mentorship individually and through group meetings; collaborate with staff and partners/stakeholders to regularly report trends; and communicate closely with Case Management Supervisors, Case Workers, and other Protection staff to manage cases accordingly.

• Ensure timely progress toward planned outputs and results; keep project staff appraised of progress and issues; make recommendations to resolve problems and lead implementation of agreed actions.

• Ensure achievement of project targets, including the development of referral pathways at district level and the establishment and quality assurance of project outcomes as per agreed detailed implementation plans.

• Monitor all aspects of protection implementation, including the formation of and regular meetings with community-based protection committees and stakeholders; review and comment on work plans; and conduct regular field visits to ensure quality and performance.

• Verify the validity of performance data and ensure data meets quality standards for accuracy, integrity, precision, reliability, and timeliness.

• Ensure timely data collection and analysis for the Case Management Database; submission of project progress reports, learnings, and success stories by field staff; and reporting on the 5Ws matrix on a regular basis.

• Represent IRC in protection-related working groups at the district and provincial level.

• Actively monitor the situation and update senior management on changing scenarios to enable immediate response and adjustments in programme approach or design.

• Conduct regular review meetings to ensure smooth implementation of the project in line with agreed deliverables, work plans, and the MEAL plan.

• Monitor project budget expenditure against spending plans and budget-vs-actual analyses; develop remedial plans where necessary to ensure budgets are used optimally.

• Identify capacity-building needs of field staff and develop and implement capacity-building plans with the support of relevant technical coordinators and the support section.

• Proactively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, and I/NGOs.

• Supervise and provide ongoing support, capacity development, and mentoring to project staff to enable them to perform successfully in their roles and to do the same for the staff they supervise.

• Ensure staff wellbeing and care are prioritized and embedded as an integral part of the work.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Acting In charge Peshawar Office (with technical reporting to Protection Coordinator).

Supervision: Case Management Supervisors, Case Workers, Community Mobilizers.

Internal: Emergency Team Lead, Head of Office, Finance, Operations, Communications, MEAL, Ethics, and Compliance.

External: Donor, Government Authorities, SWD, UN Agencies, and stakeholders in KP.

Requirements

• Master's degree in project management, social sciences, or another relevant field.

• Minimum 5 years of experience in project management with a specific focus on protection.

• Proven knowledge and experience working with community-based committees and protection case management.

• Previous experience in working with vulnerable displaced populations.

• Demonstrated coordination, networking, and relationship-building skills with key partners including government, donors, INGOs, national and local organisations, and UN agencies.

• Demonstrated experience successfully leading and strengthening teams in dynamic, challenging, and changing contexts.

• Demonstrated experience in supervising, mentoring, and building the capacity of field staff.

• Excellent interpersonal skills, a positive and professional attitude, and the ability to lead and work effectively in a team setting.

• Fluency in English and Urdu and knowledge of Pashto is preferred.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments

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• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality, and Accountability. Guided by these values, the IRC operates and implements policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, IRC Safeguarding policy, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, and Combating Trafficking in Persons.

• IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff are suitable to work with children and have the knowledge to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Safeguarding Policy.

• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to promoting gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures, and actions demonstrate this commitment.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to parti